6 weeks (and 2 days)

I have successfully filled our days with activities and classes, and now... I am SICK. This is so upsetting, as I haven't been sick in years! I am able to accomplish this by basically never getting cold, never taking the subway, taking a car service if the weather is bad, never going out when the weather really sucks, not being around sick people. Basically, by working at home and having few other obligations. Not this has all changed. Plus DH takes the subway every day and is teaching this semester. College, but still. College kids have germs too I am sure and he is not bringing them home. So far, things aren't too bad. Just a sore throat and headache and Smoosh seems to be fine.

He is actually more than fine, he is a bundle of energy! He has actually begun STANDING just holding on to our hands. At 6 weeks. Now I am no child development expert, but this seems rather early to me. I will have to take a photo. He also LOVES "jumping" (aka bending his knees and pushing off and one of us lifting him into the air.. over and over and over again). We are going to have to go look for some kind of jumper thingy ASAP that his little self will fit into! It looks like we may be having to child proof the house sooner than we thought as all signs point to early crawling and walking. Yes, I may be bragging a little. DH is convinced we have a future something-or-other on our hands. However, I was a super strong baby and an early walker myself, and that proved NOT to be a precursor for future athletic prowess. In fact, I was picked last at P.E. every time. I TOTALLY suck at sports.

Anyway, cooking class was great although getting there was a bit of a disaster. It was only maybe 10 blocks away but it was POURING rain. I decided to take the stroller and not deal with car seat and parking. Well, I discovered that the Uppa Baby does not come with a rain cover for the bassinet. I was trying to use the rain cover for the seat and managed SOAK the stroller, flood the bassinet. We got splashed by a bus and drenched in muddy water. Poor Smoosh, it was everything I could do not to break down in tears. Actually, I think I did cry a little as I tried to push the rapidly water-logging stroller with one hand and hold down with piece of ill fitted plastic as it continued to blow off in the wind, and hold my umbrella with the other hand. It was very pathetic, but I made it there and back- and came home with an amazing Spaghetti Puttanesca! I actually skipped the play group afterwords and made the Spaghetti for lunch, I was starving and Smoosh needed to rest for Music Class.

For Music class, needless to say I took the car. Still a bit of a struggle to find parking (baby screaming at full volume of course) , find quarters for the meter, get him out of the car seat and into the place in the rain. I am learning and getting better though and music class was super fun. In fact, it is working already. Last night he was fussing and I didn't know what to do. Out of desperation, I started the "Hello Song" from class, and he broke into a big smile! AMAZING!

Today I have my follow up OB appointment. Not looking forward to the internal exam AT all. What I AM looking forward to is the Bonparte sample sale that I may or may not be able to convince DH to swing by afterwords.

Here we are on our way to Smooshie's first party last weekend. How cute are his little wool booties?

Uh oh..

I have a serious weakness for sample sales. Let's see, $275 cashmere onesie at 75% off would be....

5 weeks!

Me and Smooshie right now, blogging. Excuse the crazy hair, that's what happens when you sleep in braids.


My little Smoosh is 1 month and 1 week old! He is more and more of a little person every day, and we are having so much fun together.
His 1 month appointment went great- he is up to 10lb 12oz so the constant breast feeding is really paying off! That is a pretty big gain from 7lb 6oz. He holds his little head up, follows us around the room with his eyes, looks at his toys and the dogs.. such a big difference from the first few weeks. He is even trying desperately to stand, so cute. AND he did his first real smile the other day which really was different than his little random infant smiles. It was SO adorable.
We have an awesome play group that meets twice a week, plus a ton of classes starting soon. We did 2 music class demos last week and a cloth diaper workshop. We are also starting mom & baby cooking, mom & baby pilates, mom & baby book group.. Music Together starts next week, plus our play group twice a week. I know it is a lot, but I am DREADING the winter and I do NOT want to be stuck indoors!
Speaking of winter, we had a serious cold blast last week and I realized little one is totally unprepared for the weather. I had to make an emergency Baby Gap order of snowsuits and fuzzy coveralls and hats!
And speaking of emergency orders, here is something else I was SO wrong about.. the car seat. Why, I thought, would I be so lazy that I would need to click the car seat onto the stroller? Why not just take baby out and put him into a carrier, or hold him?? Well, because he will cry. Into car seat= cry, out of car seat= cry, into carrier= cry, out of carrier= cry, back into car seat= cry. Exhausting. He does not like getting in and out of these things, all the straps I guess, the warmth to the cold..
Now it is true that there is a flat baby head epidemic and I do think this has a lot to do with it. On our Maryland road trip, we found that Cracker Barrel actually has special attachments that go on the chairs to accommodate a car seat. Also, at WAL Mart you can click your pod child right onto your shopping cart! You basically never have to take them out! Even so, we caved and ordered the car seat base attachment for the Uppa Baby. I swear I will not let Smoosh get a flat head. He is sitting here with me right now, and he will do extra tummy time to make up for it! He also spends most of the day at home in the Moby (actually the Sleepy is working better for me so DH has taken over the Moby).
Today we have got to get some errands done, so I hope to take advantage of the warm-ish weather and stroller around the hood which I haven't really done yet by myself. Very exciting times.

4 Weeks

You know, I have often noticed that when pregnancy blogs turn into baby blogs they tend get, how can I put this? BORING. And mine is no exception. Days of boredom and anticipation that leave ample time for witty blogging are replaced with days of actually taking care of the baby we have been dreaming of and buying thing for for the last 9 months or more. Now it's just "baby slept for _ hours" , "baby did this", "baby did that".. Surely once I am getting a little more sleep I will come up with something more interesting to say, right? I know I will want to read these some day, and maybe Smoosh will too, so I will march on..

We took our first trip this last weekend, a 6 hour drive to Maryland. He was pretty good in the car, but we did have to stop to BF pretty often. My nursing cover is coming in very handy, as I end up nursing while I am eating most of the time. DH had to make my brunch buffet plate at the hotel, and cut my steak at dinner b/c I was nursing. We left Friday evening and really just got a few hours outside of the city, then it started raining and we decided to get a hotel and call it a night. The next day we drove on to Maryland, straight to the festival where DH met the band. It was a big outdoor stage right on the lake and everyone sat on blankets on the hillside. It was pretty cold so I bundled Smoosh in layers and he watched his daddy perform for the first time! Then we went back to the hotel, we were staying at an awesome lodge inside the park. DH went back to hang out and see the rest of the shows, and Smoosh and I ordered room service and watched a movie. The next day it was SO beautiful (and DH was so hungover) that we decided to stay another day since it was a holiday weekend. We had a yummy brunch, walked around, then had to find a Wal Mart to buy more diapers, breast pads, and PJs! The leaves were all turning and it was so gorgeous. Then we went to the pool back at the hotel and I FINALLY got to go in the hot tub - first time in 9 months! yay! Smoosh put his toes in and he loved it. I can't wait for him to go in the ocean at Christmas! We had a nice dinner, relaxed, and came home the next day. Totally relaxing, wonderful weekend.

Now it is a busy week with billing for work, squeezing in play groups (hey, it's getting cold and I need friends!) and taking care of the LO. We had a play group yesterday, and a music class demo today and tomorrow, need to see the pedi for hi 1 month appointment.. And this reminds me why I have very little time to blog. Back to work!

3 weeks!

Well, 3 weeks tomorrow. Although I still tend to think that he was born on Monday since it was late Monday night.. Anyway..

Smooshie (that is his most popular nickname by far) has gotten a little more difficult the last few days. Apparently they tend to get more fussy and gassy around 3- 6 weeks. AND they are more likely to develop baby acne which the poor little guy has as well. Great. I guess, biologically, they have to be REALLY cute that first week or two so we don't change our minds and leave them for the wolves or something. He actually slept very well last night, I got up to nurse three times and still got plenty of sleep. Now he is cooing and smiling in his swing while I work.

My In Laws were in town this weekend so we took him out to dinner for the first time which was a huge success. We swaddles him and brought him in his bassinet and stroller and he didn't make a peep. And I finally got to have my margarita! Dinner was so successful, we went out somewhere fabulous every night! Mexican, then Maltese, then Italian - yum!

Smooshie is also a wonderful shopper! Yesterday I drove into the city (he screamed all the way there while I tried not to cry or crash) to the IL's hotel, parked, nursed him up in their room then put him into the Bjorn and he slept through 2 or 3 hours of crazy bargain shopping! I found 3 dresses that button down the front thank the Lord (I love my dresses with tights and boots in the Fall) and he got two little Ralph Lauren outfits. I love my ILs. :)

Some other very exciting news: Smooshie is already going to his first concert next weekend! DH has a show in MAryland so I was going to be left alone for two nights.. not happy about that. Then we looked at the festival website and it is a family friendly festival and they play in the afternoon so we get to come - YAY! It is in a State Park and we will just drive separately and get a hotel room. Smoosh gets to use his little headphones and wear his "I'm With The Band" onesie already!

Now, on to something else important.. the Baby Gap Fall clothes!! OMG! SO cute! I can actually recreate some of DHs outfits and they can be matching - how precious! I just don't know what size to get, he is still just a little scrunchie ball, but how big will he be in a few months? Hmmm...

Smooshie's Fall/Winter wardrobe:



Today we are going to a new Mommy/Baby tea with a Pilates class and nutrition talk - so excited!